Introduction
Imagine a room suited for your taste, your personality, your energy; a place where you come daily to find calm and peace, and awaken your senses. This is what a meditation room is about.
A meditation room or a sacred space is not just like any other room in your house, it should be special.
Creating a sacred space can be one of the most rewarding things you can do for yourself and your practice (even if you do not have a meditation practice, you can still benefit from dedicating a space for peace).
This blog post will guide you through creating your own meditation room.
Step 1- Find a dedicated room
Find a room with a window where you can peacefully find contemplation and quietness. It should feel like a solace, like a refuge.
Wherever you choose your sacred space, make sure you have it in a place where you know you won’t be bothered or you can spend some time without being bothered or being interrupted for as long as you like.
This sacred space should be free of visual clutter. An excess of ‘stuff’ can be unsettling to the eye and ultimately cause the mind to wonder. If possible, empty the room and go from there, if not, remove all non-essential pieces.
If you do not have the luxury of freeing a room for a sacred space, find the coziest place you can and just dedicate a portion to your spiritual space.
Step 2 - Only keep what is meaningful
When decorating your space, choose things that resonate with you. You do not want to have your space crowded as it will clutter your mind and thoughts. However, you do want to choose things mindfully. Keep meaningful objects (for example: from your childhood) that make you feel good from the inside.
Step 3 - Deep clean
This step may not seem very spiritual to you but is particularly important! A dusty, poorly ventilated, and untidy place is a place where energy does not flow.
Open one or two windows, put away everything that does not need to be there, and vacuum. Make this place as clean and fresh as you can, and you will clearly feel the difference!
Step 4- Purify your Space and place some good intentions
To get your sacred space ready, have a fresh start and/or reset the energy in your space, you should do some cleansing from any kind of funky energy.
You can do that by smudging. You can use a smudge stick, which can be sage or palo santo or any other herb that is good for cleansing while going around your space. The smoke and your dedicated intention of cleaning your space will clear it from negative energy.
Step 5 – How to Maximize the connections with your Space
This is where the magic happens. As a sacred room is specific to each individual, you want to make sure you select objects that will suit YOUR personality and connect with YOUR soul.
The rest of the article will direct you in the best possible way. As we understand that everyone is unique, we recommend letting your intuitions be the ultimate guide.
Let us start with the connection to basic senses; having all your senses connected to your place will most certainly help deepen your practice:
Touch:
We are sensory beings and therefore, things that are very sensory can be wonderful for your sacred space.
Here are some samples of questions you should be asking yourself. What things make you really feel good? if you are sitting down on a cushion? Do you want a silky cushion? Or a rug? Whatever your preferred method of meditation is is perfectly okay but the benefit of an “official meditation cushion" is that it aligns your spine in the right place.
Smell
To create the soothing atmosphere you dream of at any given time, make sure to have an incense burner, candles or some incense sticks in your sacred space.
Maybe you prefer the uplifting scent of Neroli? Or would you rather prefer the more calming scent of Sandalwood and Frankincense? Choose the scent that deepens the connection to your higher self.
These scents will certainly perfume your room and make it more pleasant, but that’s not it. In addition to being a spiritual practice since the dawn of time, using scents also help to further optimize the vibration of a place.
Sound:
To have some music playing in the background or to remain quiet is a matter of personal preference.
To better enjoy listening to guided meditations or relaxation music, having a sound system nearby can come in handy.
Play music that is very soothing, and that gets you in the mood to meditate or too just contemplate and reflect.
Singing bowls are wonderful tools which, by their vibration, can balance the energy of a place.
If you have one, always keep it handy. In addition to being a beautiful object of decoration, you can make it sing for a few moments to enjoy its effects.
Sight:
Decorating the area with visuals that inspire you and uplift you while relaxing you is a must in a meditation room.
Decorative items with symbols such as Buddha Art can be powerful reminders to persevere in our own practice. To strive to unlock the best of ourselves each and every day.
Gazing upon a Buddha can give us a moment of peace and clarity.
Whether it is a statue or a canvas such as this "Modern Black Buddha Canvas", there is no doubt that it will be a visual symbol and reminder of inner peace, good fortune, healing, calm and can be a powerful motivational reminder that each and every one of us has Buddha nature within us.
Other well-known symbols for example are the Chakra Symbols. Having items related to chakras such as this 7 Chakra Carpet below will bring a feeling of tranquility to the room while reminding you to regularly activate and align your chakras.
You can also realign your chakras with your yoga practice. In yoga, particular postures and mantras align the chakra system and overall flow of prana (life force) energy. When your chakras are in alignment, you can live your best life!
These objects of beauty will enhance your space in more ways than one.
Step 6 - Add a little Greenery
Plants are also excellent at bringing a fresh and lively side to your sacred space, so why not bringing nature inside? Check out our article on which plants to use for a meditation space.
Apart from making your room looking prettier, a green plant-filled space adds multiple benefits to your spiritual practice:
Deep steady breathing is a major part of any meditation or yoga practice and plants make for great air purifiers
Creating a leafy sanctuary in your home can really lift your mood. Adding layers and dimension by showing off plants on stools and using macramé hanging planters instantly creates an urban-jungle vibe, which encourages a sense of calm and happiness.
When it comes to meditation, there are many styles to choose from, and a number of these require focusing on one point in front of you. Plant leaves are great meditation anchors – they are intricate and hypnotic to look at, and you can easily get lost in them.
Step 7 - Crystals & Healing Stones for Ultimate Vibrations:
The use of crystals & healing stones is one of the most effectives methods to optimize the vibration of a place and this is the reason why we left it at the end. As they say, save best for last!
The energy of crystals & healing stones is so pure that it vibrates all around. If you walk into a room with stones in it, you will notice the difference in vibration level.
While a crystal grid would magnify the energetic properties of the crystals and would get them to work together in a synergistic way, you could do a simpler task in the meantime: position 4 Quartz of rock in each corner of the room. Orient them all towards the center of the room and let them communicate with each other.
Crystals are an energetic tool that we can use to work our meditation, and to achieve our desired results. At the spiritual level, meditating with crystals can help you reach higher states of consciousness and deepen your inspiration.
The most common ones used in a sacred room are: Rose Quartz, Labradorite Amethyst and Rock Quartz.
You can also have crystal quartz which is good for high vibes and keeping your space really positive.
Conclusion
A sacred space is your escape room, so remove everything that could potentially pull you into everyday existence.
This space you would create is just for you. It does not need to look like any other space or idea of what a sacred space should look like. However, be sure that your sacred space is used only for meditation and reflection. This way your mind is programmed to reach a peaceful state with ease when entering your space and the very room itself will hold the beautiful energy you have created during your time there.
Most of all, you should enjoy your special place! Ask others to be quiet and respectful if they enter and be sure to spend plenty of time using it!
You will soon find that you want to spend more and more time there nurturing the good vibes and expanding your practice.
Bonus – 9 Meditation Spaces Ideas
Source: housely.com
This picture shows how easy it is to take a small part of a room and transform it into a small sanctuary for meditation. All you need is a source of natural light, some flickering candles to focus your energy, a comfortable cushion for sitting, and a few other items that make the space meaningful for you.
Source: room.kitchencandid.com
Many people focus on neutral shades of brown when it comes to meditation room design, because those colors give the space a natural feel. However, some people like a bit more color. While the walls in this room are a neutral color, the color in the meditation cushions, the curtains, the bench, and the umbrella in the corner give the room a unique look.
Source: gaiadesign.com
In a high-rise apartment, take advantage of the great view by setting up a meditation space near the window. A yoga mat and pillow may be all you need to get started, but the large houseplant adds a bit of color to the otherwise stark space. This tall and narrow shelf is a good solution for those who want to display several meaningful pieces in a small space.
Source: baan-bhavana.blogspot.hu
In addition, a large picture of Buddha on the wall gives practitioners something to focus on when it’s time for their daily meditation. Built-in shelves in this space provide a place to place meaningful artifacts and books that can help further your spiritual path.
While this particular room would appeal to a Buddhist, you could easily change the decor to fit other religious practices. Use the ideas here and turn them into your own.
Source: wayfair.co.uk
If you thought you didn’t have the space for a meditation room, think again. In this space, a small bench provides the space to house items that help with meditation – a statue of the Buddha, flickering candles, and a running waterfall.
The large pillows ensure comfort while sitting, but easily fit underneath the bench when not in use. This picture shows you that your meditation area doesn’t have to be on full display at all times. You can simply take out what you need when you need it.
Source: bestofinteriors.com
The energy races around this circular room, yet it somehow feels calming. Perhaps it’s the symmetry found in the floor design or the variety of lighting sources combining to form a gentle glow. This meditation room is obviously designed for someone who takes their religious practice seriously.
You’re as apt to find something like this in a temple as in someone’s home. However, if your spiritual practice is something that is incredibly important to you, there’s nothing wrong with planning to incorporate a space like this into your home design.
Source: coisasfuteis.com
This space might be small, but it certainly doesn’t feel like it because of the very large mirrored table. Carpet on the floor makes it a bit more comfortable for sitting, while the oversized, colorful pillows give the room an Indian feel.
Some light can filter through the curtains, but hanging lanterns create fun ambient lighting for the space. It’s always important to find artwork that suits your needs. A space like this can easily fit into a small corner of a bedroom or other type of living space or be its own room.
Source: designrulz.com
Many people feel that what really sets a meditation space apart from other types of spaces is the presence of small items that make you feel tranquil or remind you of your spiritual path. For some, this is religious imagery, like a statue of the Buddha a Christian cross or a Holy Quran , but others simply prefer simple things, like the rainbows you see in this picture.
The triangular shelving system is a creative way to showcase this person’s items, while the simple carpet on the floor provides a place to sit while meditating.